Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea

[dizneekrazee]

Hi fellow DISers

For those of you that have been to TDL/TDS, I am looking for any tips you can provide. I've read, although slightly outdated, that they don't book resort rooms until 6 months out, and, that they go fast. Is this so? If so, do you know if it is 6 calendar months, such as April 15 reservation means booking October 1? Or a straight 6 months, such as April 15 reservation means booking October 15?
If you have stayed onsite, which hotel did you stay in? How did you like it? Did you, by chance, stay in a "themed room"?

Thank you for your help!!

 

[DreamSweetsLove]

Hi fellow DISers

For those of you that have been to TDL/TDS, I am looking for any tips you can provide. I've read, although slightly outdated, that they don't book resort rooms until 6 months out, and, that they go fast. Is this so? If so, do you know if it is 6 calendar months, such as April 15 reservation means booking October 1? Or a straight 6 months, such as April 15 reservation means booking October 15?
If you have stayed onsite, which hotel did you stay in? How did you like it? Did you, by chance, stay in a "themed room"?

Thank you for your help!!

It really depends on the time of the year. It it's a
Popular event it will be harder to book, especially the first and last day because people want to use the early entry advantage. Also it the room you want is out keep trying. Sometimes rooms open up!

We've stayed twice at TDLH (park view) and once at Miracosta (Venice view). I don't recommend to character rooms because they face away from the park but if you are a big fan maybe you will still enjoy it!

 

[dizneekrazee]

It really depends on the time of the year. It it's a
Popular event it will be harder to book, especially the first and last day because people want to use the early entry advantage. Also it the room you want is out keep trying. Sometimes rooms open up!

We've stayed twice at TDLH (park view) and once at Miracosta (Venice view). I don't recommend to character rooms because they face away from the park but if you are a big fan maybe you will still enjoy it!

We would be looking at either late March, or early April. Initially, I did want a character room at TDLH. Wanted the Snow White room, but, other than a few things on the wall, I really don't see much difference. I ust discovered the Mickey, Minnie & Donald rooms at Ambassador. I love Minnie, but, only in red and white polka dots, so that was eliminated.

Can you please tell me about the early entry advantage? I do not want to assume it is like DLR here in California.

Thank you

 

[DreamSweetsLove]

When I get home I get home I'll look at the school colander. If it's not a holiday it should be bad. Because it's a local's park you should avoid the weekends at all cost. The new rooms at ambassador really are cute!!

I haven't been to DLR but maybe early entry is a little different. I only used it one time at Miracosta for the first day of Halloween. It's 15 minutes early and I want to say the area you can go to is limited but not 100% sure. Early entry either queues outside next to Miracosta or sometimes inside at the hotel entrance. What we did was take a position for the show and one of us went to get in line for TSM FP. T he attractions open when the park opens so the only real advantage is for shows and FP and getting ahead of the larger crowd. At the US parks running is not allowed but people here do it so if you do not want to run you should stay to the side.
At Disneyland the early entry is at the center turnstiles.

 

[dizneekrazee]

When I get home I get home I'll look at the school colander. If it's not a holiday it should be bad. Because it's a local's park you should avoid the weekends at all cost. The new rooms at ambassador really are cute!!

I haven't been to DLR but maybe early entry is a little different. I only used it one time at Miracosta for the first day of Halloween. It's 15 minutes early and I want to say the area you can go to is limited but not 100% sure. Early entry either queues outside next to Miracosta or sometimes inside at the hotel entrance. What we did was take a position for the show and one of us went to get in line for TSM FP. T he attractions open when the park opens so the only real advantage is for shows and FP and getting ahead of the larger crowd. At the US parks running is not allowed but people here do it so if you do not want to run you should stay to the side.
At Disneyland the early entry is at the center turnstiles.

It is a bit different than DLR. Thanks for the tips on avoiding weekends, DLR is a locals park, too.
And yes, please let me know the school calendar!

 

[DreamSweetsLove]

Looking at the calender early April should be better, kids are getting ready to go back to school or are already back in school. The further you can push it into April the better. There is a long weekend but that is at the very end of April. The Spring events started from the 18th this year so if the schedule stays similar then you will have a good buffer time in between the event opening crowds and last minute before school starts vacations. Then if you stick to the weekdays you should be golden!

 

[dizneekrazee]

Looking at the calender early April should be better, kids are getting ready to go back to school or are already back in school. The further you can push it into April the better. There is a long weekend but that is at the very end of April. The Spring events started from the 18th this year so if the schedule stays similar then you will have a good buffer time in between the event opening crowds and last minute before school starts vacations. Then if you stick to the weekdays you should be golden!

Looking at our schedule, we might not be able to avoid weekends. Might have to do 1 weekend day. Like a Sunday/Monday type of thing.

Also, I don't think I ever mentioned, this trip is likely for March/April 2015, when we were suppose to be traveling to Egypt. I know most of Japan does not celebrate Easter, but, does Japan get a swarm of visitors over this time? We would be there the week & a half or so prior to Easter (April 5, 2015), departing for home the day before Easter.

 

[DreamSweetsLove]

Looking at our schedule, we might not be able to avoid weekends. Might have to do 1 weekend day. Like a Sunday/Monday type of thing.

Also, I don't think I ever mentioned, this trip is likely for March/April 2015, when we were suppose to be traveling to Egypt. I know most of Japan does not celebrate Easter, but, does Japan get a swarm of visitors over this time? We would be there the week & a half or so prior to Easter (April 5, 2015), departing for home the day before Easter.

Looking at the crowd calendar from that time this year it was really really busy even on weekdays within 42,000 to 65,000 range. It's right before school begins and there are student discounts at that time not to mention the Spring events would have just started..

That being said it's certainly still possible with a good plan and if you have to go on a weekend day Saturday is better than Friday. If you could go after the 5th Apr. it would be much less crowded.

 

[dizneekrazee]

Looking at the crowd calendar from that time this year it was really really busy even on weekdays within 42,000 to 65,000 range. It's right before school begins and there are student discounts at that time not to mention the Spring events would have just started..

That being said it's certainly still possible with a good plan and if you have to go on a weekend day Saturday is better than Friday. If you could go after the 5th Apr. it would be much less crowded.

Thank you!! You are so helpful!! For the rooms, if I want a room for March 29 for 2 nights (for example), would I book Sept 29? Or Sept 1? And, just curious, are you a CM there?

 

[DreamSweetsLove]

Oh my gosh I made a mistake not Saturday but Sunday is better I'm so sorry! I'm not sure about the booking time I can try to find out though. I'm not a CM, just go to the parks too much. The resort is just a few minutes away by bicycle!

 

[dizneekrazee]

Oh my gosh I made a mistake not Saturday but Sunday is better I'm so sorry! I'm not sure about the booking time I can try to find out though. I'm not a CM, just go to the parks too much. The resort is just a few minutes away by bicycle!

Glad to hear Sunday is better, as we are looking at a Sunday & Monday. Also, is with those dates, is one park better than the other on either of those days?

Ok, please let me know about booking time if you find out.

 

[dizneekrazee]

Just thought of something. Is there anything inside the castle in Tokyo? For example, WDW has a restaurant, and DLR has a walk through attraction. Thank you.

 

[tinibee]

Yes, they have a little walkthrough tour with a throne room where you can take pictures. Its more in depth than the Anaheim walkthrough. And everything works!

 

[dizneekrazee]

Yes, they have a little walkthrough tour with a throne room where you can take pictures. Its more in depth than the Anaheim walkthrough. And everything works!

Awesome!! Will be checking that out, for sure!!

Does anyone know if there is one place where I can see a comparative type list of attractions with those here in the US? We only have time to give each park 1 day, and I know that isn't enough, as first timers. I would like to focus on attractions that are either unique to TDL, or different from those here. Especially if they are different than DLR. I think the Winnie the Pooh ride is different from DLR, but, possibly the same as WDW? Not sure.

Thank you.

 

[jsilvers]

Does anyone know if there is one place where I can see a comparative type list of attractions with those here in the US?

I'm not aware of one, but it's great idea. The following is based on my visits to TDL, DL, and MK, but some rides have faded from memory (and I note that "similar" doesn't necessarily mean identical - for example, the Splash Mountain queue in Tokyo is mostly inside and thus different from that in the MK). Likewise, there are some attractions that I would bet are identical - like Captain EO - but I haven't actually experienced them at TDL.

Adventureland:
Enchanted Tiki Room - different than any U.S. attraction (stars Stitch)
Jungle Cruise - similar to the MK version
Pirates of the Caribbean - similar to the DL version
Swiss Family Treehouse - ?
Western River Railroad - different than any U.S. attraction in that it does not circle the park, but more like the DL version in that it has a Primeval World diorama.

Critter Country:
Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes - ?
Splash Mountain - similar to the MK version

Fantasyland:
Alice's Tea Party - ?
Carrousel - ?
Cinderella's Fairy Tale Hall - different than any U.S. attraction
Dumbo - ?
Haunted Mansion - similar to the pre-2007 MK version
It's A Small World - ?
Mickey's PhilharMagic - ?
Peter Pan's Flight - similar to MK version
Pinocchio's Daring Journey - similar to the DL version
Pooh's Hunny Hunt - different than any U.S. attraction (and one of the most popular attractions at TDL)
Snow White's Adventures - ?

Toontown:
Gadget's Go Coaster - ?
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin - similar to the DL version

Tomorrowland:

Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters - similar to the DL version
Captain EO - ?
Grand Circuit Raceway - ?
Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek - different than any U.S. attraction
Space Mountain - similar to the DL version
Star Jets - similar to the pre-1994 MK version
Star Tours II - ?

Westernland:
Big Thunder Mountain - similar to MK version
Country Bear Theater - The shows rotate, so depending on the time of year, it may be different than the current MK show.
Mark Twain Riverboat - ?
Tom Sawyer Island - ?

It also is worth noting that almost all of the major attractions at TDS are unique, with the exceptions of Toy Story Mania and Indiana Jones. The TDS versions of 20,000 Leagues and the Tower of Terror are a good bit different than anything that is/was in the U.S.; the actual ride of the Tower resembles the California Adventure version.

 

[dizneekrazee]

I'm not aware of one, but it's great idea. The following is based on my visits to TDL, DL, and MK, but some rides have faded from memory (and I note that "similar" doesn't necessarily mean identical - for example, the Splash Mountain queue in Tokyo is mostly inside and thus different from that in the MK). Likewise, there are some attractions that I would bet are identical - like Captain EO - but I haven't actually experienced them at TDL.

Adventureland:
Enchanted Tiki Room - different than any U.S. attraction (stars Stitch)
Jungle Cruise - similar to the MK version
Pirates of the Caribbean - similar to the DL version
Swiss Family Treehouse - ?
Western River Railroad - different than any U.S. attraction in that it does not circle the park, but more like the DL version in that it has a Primeval World diorama.

Critter Country:
Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes - ?
Splash Mountain - similar to the MK version

Fantasyland:
Alice's Tea Party - ?
Carrousel - ?
Cinderella's Fairy Tale Hall - different than any U.S. attraction
Dumbo - ?
Haunted Mansion - similar to the pre-2007 MK version
It's A Small World - ?
Mickey's PhilharMagic - ?
Peter Pan's Flight - similar to MK version
Pinocchio's Daring Journey - similar to the DL version
Pooh's Hunny Hunt - different than any U.S. attraction (and one of the most popular attractions at TDL)
Snow White's Adventures - ?

Toontown:
Gadget's Go Coaster - ?
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin - similar to the DL version

Tomorrowland:

Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters - similar to the DL version
Captain EO - ?
Grand Circuit Raceway - ?
Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek - different than any U.S. attraction
Space Mountain - similar to the DL version
Star Jets - similar to the pre-1994 MK version
Star Tours II - ?

Westernland:
Big Thunder Mountain - similar to MK version
Country Bear Theater - The shows rotate, so depending on the time of year, it may be different than the current MK show.
Mark Twain Riverboat - ?
Tom Sawyer Island - ?

It also is worth noting that almost all of the major attractions at TDS are unique, with the exceptions of Toy Story Mania and Indiana Jones. The TDS versions of 20,000 Leagues and the Tower of Terror are a good bit different than anything that is/was in the U.S.; the actual ride of the Tower resembles the California Adventure version.

Thank you very much, this is quite helpful. I will make a list to prioritize, and go with that.

 

[Mousequake]

Thank you very much, this is quite helpful. I will make a list to prioritize, and go with that.

Let me add my thanks as well. We're planning a trip for this Thanksgiving, and this is a great guide.

 

[jsilvers]

We're planning a trip for this Thanksgiving, and this is a great guide.

I should probably add a few non-ride comparisons, especially given that you'll be there during the holiday season:

• Electrical Parade Dreamlights - similar to the U.S. version (and like in the U.S., there is a holiday season overlay)
• Magic in the Sky fireworks - unlike any U.S. version (but that's not a good thing - they're not impressive)
• It's a Small World holiday overlay - I assume that it's similar to the DL overlay, but I haven't actually seen the DL overlay
• Haunted Mansion holiday overlay - similar to the DL overlay, but as previously noted, the ride itself resembles the MK version
• Country Bears holiday overlay - as previously mentioned, the shows rotate, and include the holiday show that used to be performed at the MK

Also, some restaurants at TDL have U.S. equivalents and some don't; notably, the Blue Bayou is almost identical to the DL version - which should be no surprise since they both overlook Pirates. And I'm always amused that the Hungry Bear in Westernland is actually a curry joint.

 

[RachelleBeaney]

From my experience you can literally only book certain rooms 6 months out - we are going to Tokyo Disney in November and our first night at the Miracosta will be the 4 November 2013 - so we called on the 4 May which was 6 months before. We were able to book the Porto Paradiso side (view into Disney Seas main lagoon area) rooms for the 4 November on that day but not for any of the next 3 days of our stay (5 - 7 Nov)....we were however able to book rooms on the Venice Side of the hotel (which look into the Venician canals of Disney Sea) for those next three nights and then we were told to call back every day to try and change the room to what we wanted. We were attempting to book a basic Porto Paradiso Harbour View Room (which is the most expensive of the basic room categories - it apparently has a more central view of the lagoon with perfect viewing for the lagoon shows) but only managed to get this room 1 out of the 3 nights even though we called at exactly 9am Tokyo time every day (which was the opening time of the reservation line)....On our last night ALL the rooms on the Port Paradiso side were sold out 2 mins after the line was open and so we've had to stay on the Venice side for that last night - which means we are changing rooms every night...and early November is not peak season! We are at peace with it now, as we will have a different and beautiful view every night but I was a little mad at the time - it's such an impossible situation! My advice would be to try get on the website at 8:45am and keep refreshing until you can get in and book on there - that must be how people book all the rooms if you can't get one 2 mins after the reservation line opens!

I'm not sure how crazy it will be for the other hotels as we didn't book any rooms at either of them - but I can tell you this - if you want a theme park view room at the Miracosta be on the phone/internet at exactly 9am Tokyo time 6 months before the first day of your stay (i.e. 4 May to 4 Nov...)

 

[RachelleBeaney]

Looking at our schedule, we might not be able to avoid weekends. Might have to do 1 weekend day. Like a Sunday/Monday type of thing.

Also, I don't think I ever mentioned, this trip is likely for March/April 2015, when we were suppose to be traveling to Egypt. I know most of Japan does not celebrate Easter, but, does Japan get a swarm of visitors over this time? We would be there the week & a half or so prior to Easter (April 5, 2015), departing for home the day before Easter.

I've read that March can be EXTREMELY busy - read the following trip report re this information:

http://micechat.com/25071-epic-tokyo-disneyland-trip-report/

I think it's because March is Golden Week and school/uni holidays in Japan - but this guy regularly had 3-5 hour waits for everything in the park - I believe it gets much quieter in April so if you can I reckon that'd be better...

The end of March in particular is what appears to be super busy and that's peak season according to Tokyo Disney Resorts' Hotel calendar as well

http://www.disneyhotels.jp/english/reserve/dhm_price_e.html

Hope this is helpful